Study supports new Metra line to southeast Chicago suburbs

A recent study by the
SouthEast Commuter Rail Development Board confirms what Crete, Ill., Mayor
Michael Einhorn said he's known for years: that commuter rail service to the
southeast suburbs is necessary, according to the Southtown Star.

Insufficient mobility,
inadequate access to jobs, environmental quality and residential growth are
some of the reasons cited for creating a new Metra rail line that would end in
Crete, according to the study released late last month.

The line would run from
Chicago's LaSalle Street Station south to Balmoral Park in Crete, where an end
station and maintenance facility would be built. Stops would include 35th
Street, Gresham and 115th Street in Chicago; and Dolton, South Holland, Thornton,
Glenwood, Chicago Heights, South Chicago Heights, Steger and two stops in
Crete.

The village completed a
station-area-planning project with information about commuters, local
businesses and the best possible location for a station in Crete and at
Balmoral.

Einhorn has been a driving force
behind the quest the new rail line for more than a decade.

"Commuter rail service
would be the most advantageous and best choice of Metra," he said during an
Oct. 19 Crete Village Board meeting.

The federal government has
the project on its books, but money has not been earmarked yet. Einhorn said
the state of Illinois has to be able to come up with money for as much as 40 percent
of the project before work can begin.

The project is estimated to
cost $735 million, which includes a cost overrun of about 30 percent. Annual
operating costs are estimated at $28.8 million.

The study shows that an
average of 18,700 people would ride trains on a SouthEast commuter rail line on
any given weekday.